Obtaining copper cathodes on a large scale is a process known in the state of the art. This process, to be profitable, is intensive for large volumes of material to be obtained. The basis of this process is one used for the first time in south Wales in 1869, where electrorefining was tested as a purification process for metallic copper that is carried out in electrolytic cells and consists of the application of an electric current to dissolve impure copper. In this way, the purest possible electrolytic copper is obtained, with 99.99% purity, which permits its utilization as an electric conductor, among other applications. Chile is one of the principle producers and refiners of copper in the world.
The total process for the obtaining of electro-refined copper is known by the technicians in this subject (FIG. 1 above) and operates as follows:                Crushing: at this stage, the material extracted is reduced to ever smaller and more compact portions.        Lixiviation (LX), metallurgical technique that consists of watering the heaps of mineralized material with a solution of water with sulfuric acid, dissolving the copper content in the oxidized minerals and forming a copper sulfate solution, which is taken to the PLS (pregnant leaching solution) pools.        Extraction by solvent (SX), is a method of separation of one or more substances of a mixture by means of the use of solvents, obtaining a solution that is rich in copper.        Electrowinning (EW), is a process whereby the copper solution (electrolyte) is taken to the electrowinning premises where there are a series of cells placed in such a way that when a current is applied to them the copper sulfate solution decomposes, and the copper remains adhered to the cathodes. (As can be seen in FIG. 9.)        Copper cathode, these are copper plates that are obtained in the electrowinning process.        
The stages presented previously, in that order, reveal the process that is known. Each one of the stages, individually, has its own technical problems of which we want to emphasize those that are presented below.
This type of hydrometallurgy, electrowinning and/or electrorefining processes have always been executed at a fixed location due to the large number of equipment, electrical support, intensive process and management of high tonnages of material that this operation requires.
In general, the electrolytic extraction processes are carried out in undivided electrochemical cells that contain an electrolytic bath and a multiplicity of anodes and cathodes. In these processes, such as, for example, the electrodeposition of copper, the electrochemical reaction that takes place in the cathode (manufactured of stainless steel), conducts the deposition of copper in metallic form on the cathode itself. The anode, generally manufactured of lead, is consumed slowly forming the anodic sludges and producing gaseous oxygen, as residual elements (WO2013/060786).
In general, what is known by the state of the art mentions that this type of process uses continuous current in parallel through each anode-cathode pair, as mentioned in patent WO 2013117805. In fact, rectifiers are used to compensate the system's direct current input with the current the electrochemical process on its own requires.
Another of the common stages of the total process in electrowinning, but prior to subjecting the electrolyte to the current, is the ore enrichment or concentration stage by extraction of same with solvents, a stage also called Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS). This stage is necessary to reach a copper concentration in the electrolyte of about 7 to 48 g/L of electrolyte. These concentrations are necessary to make the electrowinning process economically viable in medium and large-scale mining.